Lateral load resisting shear walls and frames have been used since beginning of the last century to resist those components of force induced in a building by an earthquake, winds, and similar loads. All current system used in resisting these lateral loads are physically fixed in place and therefore cannot be used in the front of a door, garage, or other opening at the exterior or within a building as they will obstruct access or flow into and out of the building by people, vehicles, or other equipment; will not allow for the passage of air, water, or other elements, or will obstruct sound and visibility.
In particular, natural events causing a lateral load on the building, such as earthquake, are transient in nature. That is, they occur rarely and randomly and for a short period time over the life of the building. Additionally, opening at the exterior of a building, such as garage doors, are typically in a closed position most of the time.
Systems used to resist lateral loads (loads parallel to ground, 90 degrees from gravity) such as seismic forces, wind, tornados, and others are usually resisted by walls, space frames, and braced frames. However, a lot of the time a floor plan does not allow for installation of a wall or braced frame because of the obstruction that these will cause in an opening such as a garage opening, store front, open floor areas, etc.
Accordingly, what is needed are improved systems to allow doors, screens, and panels be installed that will provide lateral resistance.